Lechaschau

Lechaschau

Lechaschau is located on the opposite side of the River Lech from
the larger town of Reutte - the bridge over the river being the start of
the road
into
the Lech valley.

Lechaschau is the smallest community in the Reutte region (6.12
km²) in terms of area but is the third largest in population after the
main towns of Reutte and Ehrwald and thus the most densely-settled. The village
has a small light industrial area but it is nowadays more of a commuter
settlement for those working in Reutte.

The Church of the Holy Ghost near the bridge over the Lech dates back to
the 16th century.

Lechaschau History

The village was named after the river and just called Lech during the Middle
Ages and up to the end of the 19th century. The Lechaschau of the present day
was one of the five districts - or "Orte" - of the Aschau court and was therefore
also known as "Lecherort".

The oldest part of Lechaschau is the beech-covered elevated area above
the river which was originally settled with two farms in 1200. Two centuries
later,
the records of the St Mang Monastery in Füssen recorded contributions
from 13 farmers.

Over the centuries, the number of buildings in the village rose steadily
and by 1676 there were 25 houses and farms. The first bridge over the Lech
was built from 1458 – 1464 and the consequent traffic on the road into
Swabia, which ran through Hinterbichl past the cliffs, led to economic expansion,
with smiths, brewers, bakers and grocers all setting up shop in the village.

Because of this expansion, the judges of the previously-mentioned Aschau Court
also held their sessions here. Lechaschau became known as a wealthy settlement
with prosperous merchants and the evidence of this prosperity is still evident
in the present-day village.